The Buzz

It's called Original Goat Yoga, and it apparently involves people doing yoga while goats chew on the corners of their yoga mats and nuzzle participants.

Original Goat Yoga is now offered in nine locations nationwide, three in Oregon, and one each in San Francisco, Carlisle, Pa.; New Castle, Ky.; Lansing, Mich., and Chicago.

The latest location opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at 4 High Meadow Road in Averill Park. Many of the classes are already sold out, we're told, and the center also hosts birthday parties, bachelorette events, and corporate health and wellness activities to boost employee team building.

There's also something called Cat Yoga, according to a scout for The Buzz.

Locally, the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society offers such sessions, although the one we saw listed was sold out.

Payback can help

If you are upset over the alleged bid-rigging at SUNY Polytechnic Institute involving the construction of the $750 million SolarCity solar panel factory oin Buffalo that used taxpayer money, there may be a way to feel a little better about it.

SolarCity agreed to a class action lawsuit settlement in which the plaintiffs alleged that SolarCity made unauthorized marketing phone calls violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

Although the settlement was for just $15 million, we know one consumer who made a claim got a check for nearly $95 just for a call or two.

Who's Howe?

Speaking of SUNY Poly bid-rigging, the man at the scandal's center is Todd Howe, the former lobbyist and political operative who allegedly helped steer SUNY Poly contracts to contractors who donated to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Howe had worked for Cuomo at HUD, and prosecutors allege SUNY Poly founder Alain Kaloyeros hired him to smooth over his rocky relationship with the governor.

Howe was very good at what he did because when we saw him years ago at SUNY Poly, we just assumed he worked on the Second Floor. It turns out he just sold the idea that he had that type of access.